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WA Open carry question

1077 Views 9 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  ZOMBIEvs42
I am waiting to get my CPL in the mail, in the mean time I am OC'ing. I plan on OC'ing even after I get my CPL. With that said do I have a legal obligation to tell a LEO that I have a firearm in my car? I keep my firearm out of sight when I'm in my car btw.
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There is no obligation as a CPL holder and I don't believe there is an obligation for a OC'er either. However, as a non-CPL holder you cannot conceal a loaded pistol in your vehicle. If you are going to place it in your glovebox it must be unloaded...

RCW 9.41.050 – Carrying firearms.

(2)(a) A person shall not carry or place a loaded pistol in any vehicle unless the person has a license to carry a concealed pistol and: (i) The pistol is on the licensee's person, (ii) the licensee is within the vehicle at all times that the pistol is there, or (iii) the licensee is away from the vehicle and the pistol is locked within the vehicle and concealed from view from outside the vehicle. (b) A violation of this subsection is a misdemeanor.
There is no obligation as a CPL holder and I don't believe there is an obligation for a OC'er either. However, as a non-CPL holder you cannot conceal a loaded pistol in your vehicle. If you are going to place it in your glovebox it must be unloaded...

RCW 9.41.050 – Carrying firearms.

(2)(a) A person shall not carry or place a loaded pistol in any vehicle unless the person has a license to carry a concealed pistol and: (i) The pistol is on the licensee's person, (ii) the licensee is within the vehicle at all times that the pistol is there, or (iii) the licensee is away from the vehicle and the pistol is locked within the vehicle and concealed from view from outside the vehicle. (b) A violation of this subsection is a misdemeanor.
Reason I ask is because I will only carry condition one and having to completely unload the firearm when I get into my car and than place it into my glovebox and than put the magazine in and rack the slide again and reholster before I get out out of my car is both irritating and uncomfortable. I could see that a reasonable person would be alarmed by seeing a man in his car loading a gun and than racking the slide. I don't want to get hemmed up on "warranting alarm". To me OC should be legal loaded or unloaded in a car. I don't see why you can carry a loaded gun in public OC but not in your car.
Not saying that I keep one in the chamber when I store it in the glovebox....but it would seem the lesser of two evils as it would be much easier and less riskty to just put the magazine in and reholster rather than having to put magazine in and than rack the slide and reholster. Seems like warranting alarm is the most likely thing that would get me hemmed up than keeping one in the smoke wagon in the glove box.
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When i OC getting out of the car i pull my firearm out of the center console insert magazine, release slide and holster it before my but leaves the seat, getting in the car i sit down, unholster, eject mag, rack it to remove the chambered cartridge, lock slide back, put back in center console. I practice and do it enough that i can have the firearm put away before the wife gets to her side and buckled in. While personally i dont agree with the distinction between oc and cc in a car it is muscle memory now and i dont even think about it.

I like the term smoke wagon. Heh.
Oh and if your wondering if i just top the mag off with the chambered round, i do, i chambered the same round 35 times and measured it. Zero set back. Sigs are all that and a bag of chips.
Oh and if your wondering if i just top the mag off with the chambered round, i do, i chambered the same round 35 times and measured it. Zero set back. Sigs are all that and a bag of chips.

What do you mean you measured it? and zero set backs?
There is no obligation as a CPL holder and I don't believe there is an obligation for a OC'er either. However, as a non-CPL holder you cannot conceal a loaded pistol in your vehicle. If you are going to place it in your glovebox it must be unloaded...
RCW 9.41.050 – Carrying firearms.

(2)(a) A person shall not carry or place a loaded pistol in any vehicle unless the person has a license to carry a concealed pistol and: (i) The pistol is on the licensee's person, (ii) the licensee is within the vehicle at all times that the pistol is there, or (iii) the licensee is away from the vehicle and the pistol is locked within the vehicle and concealed from view from outside the vehicle. (b) A violation of this subsection is a misdemeanor.
According to the statute, unless you have a permit you cannot have a loaded pistol in the vehicle at all, either concealed or open.
According to the statute, unless you have a permit you cannot have a loaded pistol in the vehicle at all, either concealed or open.
OldVet beat me to it but he is correct...unless you have a permit you cannot have a loaded pistol in your vehicle. I don't know why but it is spelled out pretty clearly.


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We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the law breaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is responsible for his actions....Ronald Reagan
I don't see why you can carry a loaded gun in public OC but not in your car.
Because it is the law.
What do you mean you measured it? and zero set backs?
Some pistols may push the bullet back a bit in the case if you chamber it, some practice never chambering the same round twice because if its set too far back it may cause unsafe pressure change. Take a factory cartridge and chamber it, measure it with a caliper that and do greater the 1000th of an inch, compare that to an unchamberd cartridge, if its shorter, you have to be careful with multiple chamberings of the same round.
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